Melbourne: A gunman fired a shot through the front window of a crowded Indian restaurant at Harris Park in Sydney's west, the second such incident in last four months in the area.
The incident occurred just before 9 pm local time on Tuesday, when customers and staff, numbering between 30 and 40, were inside Billu's Indian Eatery on Wigram Street. However, nobody was injured, according to local police.
The bullet went through the front window of the restaurant and hit a shelf, they said, adding, the gunman, dressed in a blue tracksuit, was seen running south on Wigram Street after the incident. "Just before 9 pm (Tuesday), a single shot was fired into the Indian restaurant on Wigram Street, Harris Park", police said.
They were now seeking assistance of anyone who saw the man come forward, in particular a woman, who was nearly knocked to the ground by him near the pedestrian crossing on the Wigram Street. Police said they believed the shot was fired by an offender who was on foot, adding, inquiries into the incident are continuing.
The latest incident is the second in 2015 when a gunman has fired shots in the area which is a hub of Indian restaurants and other Indian shops. In April, diners were enjoying their lunch in Harris Park area, when after 2 pm local time, a man walked outside and fired a volley of bullets.
Sydney-based cardiologist Yadu Singh who is also a close friend of the restaurant's owner said, the incident has generated a great concern among the Indian businesses in the area. "It is scary and police is probing the incident," Singh said.
Singh, also president of the Federation of Indian Associations of NSW (New South Wales), said they were "very concerned" about such attacks on Indian businesses in Harris Park over the last few months. "Last night, people were lucky that the bullet did not hit anyone. There is a rumour that these attacks are for the purpose of intimidation and bullying to facilitate "hafta" (extortion) from our businesses.
He said, "Our businesses do not need or deserve to be intimidated, fired at or harmed. We demand NSW Police, Police minister & Premier, Mike Baird, to do everything to get to the bottom of this whole thing in Harris Park."
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